Is this a scam???

lotty

Guest
I've just had a phone call from a woman on my home phone, saying she was from a company in conjunction with Microsoft, some repair company, warning me that my computer has a virus and i need to follow her instructions to cure it?
When I questioned who she was and what she wanted to do she said it was to fix the bug that could crash my computer and if I didn't do what she advised over the phone I could not claim off Microsoft!
I told her I was not happy doing something over the phone with someone who I do not know and she started to get quite angry and eventually put the phone down on me!
I have recently seen on tv about scams scaring people into giving money, was this one? She didn't ask for any money but I didn't give her chance!

What do you guys think? Sounded dodgy to me?

Lotty
 
hi lotty had the same a few months ago in end hung up wanted far too much info for my liking you did the right thing see at rh cheers john and shakey jakey
 
Yes, it's on the increase. You did right by not going along with it or giving the scumbag any information.
 
Definate scam of some sort.
How would somebody know you had a virus on your computer never mind your phone number ? Microsoft wouldn't ring you. At best they would send email but doubt that.
I'm betting a customer list has been sold or hacked somewhere relating to an on-line purchase where you have given your phone number.
If in doubt run MALWAREBYTES Malwarebytes : Free anti-malware, anti-virus and spyware removal download . I am so impressed by the program I have actually "put my money where my mouth is" and subscribed to them for the full package as far cheaper than high street antivirus programs.

Paul H
 
Yes, it's a commonly reported scam and, had you proceeded, you would have been asked for credit card details.

Microsoft would never call you. If you have any future calls, either say you don't have a computer or leave them on hold!
 
i cant belive people fall for this................its 100 total scam.
 
Yep - Complete scam.

They called me and I wasted about 15 minutes of their time because I was in a playful mood and had just sat down with a large cup of tea lol

Apparanetly .... We had a virus.... all compters using our internet connection had it... it would kill the computers... empty our on-line banking... etc etc

They argued that I knew nothing about PCs and PC security... they even asked me if I knew what 'PC' was short for!!!

I hung up moments after they used the 'F-word' and tried to continue the call like it had never happened! :mad2:

It was funny.

But a shame that some people will probably fall for it and get hurt.

Calum.
 


I don't entertain ANY unsolicited calls as I don't trust any of them. A polite way to deal with them is to ask (insist) on a name and phone number from them. Say you need to talk to someone or think about it and you will call them back. Most of the time they wont give details and hang up themselves, but if you get them you can google them and check.

Personally, I then report them to the TPS as they should not have called me in the first place!
TPS

I suspect that by living in the densely populated home counties is the reason I get so many nuisance calls, but they have become just that - a nuisance :hammer:
 
There was an article by a Guardian journalist on this. Someone claiming to be from Microsoft rang him with the virus story and he strung them along for 20 minutes then told them he had a Macbook with no MS software - they hung up.
 
moggy

lotty said:
I've just had a phone call from a woman on my home phone, saying she was from a company in conjunction with Microsoft, some repair company, warning me that my computer has a virus and i need to follow her instructions to cure it?
When I questioned who she was and what she wanted to do she said it was to fix the bug that could crash my computer and if I didn't do what she advised over the phone I could not claim off Microsoft!
I told her I was not happy doing something over the phone with someone who I do not know and she started to get quite angry and eventually put the phone down on me!
I have recently seen on tv about scams scaring people into giving money, was this one? She didn't ask for any money but I didn't give her chance!

What do you guys think? Sounded dodgy to me?

Lotty
Click to expand...

hi lotty my son had the same phone call 2 weeks ago it is a scam stay well clear of it
 
i bet if you tried to get the number it would be a witheld number, i tend to just say wait a minute then put the phone down of the hook and leave it till the phone blepper go's hopefully have kept their line tied up so they cant call anyone else till i put my phone back.

tranivanman
 
tranivanman said:
i bet if you tried to get the number it would be a witheld number, i tend to just say wait a minute then put the phone down of the hook and leave it till the phone blepper go's hopefully have kept their line tied up so they cant call anyone else till i put my phone back.

tranivanman
Click to expand...



I dialled 1471 and this is their number 0161 235 6968.

I have googled the number and it has been reported by lots of people as we all know, as a scam, trying to get money out of you to repair your computer!

If you see this number come up on your phone just don't answer. Apparently they change the last 3 digits too!

Lotty
 
I usually ask them to wait while I answer the door and see how long it takes them to get bored.
 
Yep, had this one recently too, and the one from the 'bank' again. When I asked which bank, she said 'your bank', I said 'bye-bye' !!!!
 
Yes! Total scam. My father almost fell for it, and the guy on the end of the phone said he needed remote access to my dads pc in order to identify the virus and remove it.

My father told him we had up to date macaffe protection and aftermarket care package from the Tech Guys at PC World. cheeky bugger told us that he was calling on behalf of the Tech Guys. Luckily i came home from work just as he was about to set up the remote access and pulled the plug before he got any further.

Ran the full macaffe scan etc plus cyberscrub, checked the access settings and firewall and changed all our passwords so no damage done then phoned PC World Tech Guys and they had heard of this fellas scam and he was nothing to do with them.

We have had two similar phone calls since. Different voice but the same speil.
 
twosugars said:
Yes! Total scam. My father almost fell for it, and the guy on the end of the phone said he needed remote access to my dads pc in order to identify the virus and remove it.

My father told him we had up to date macaffe protection and aftermarket care package from the Tech Guys at PC World. cheeky bugger told us that he was calling on behalf of the Tech Guys. Luckily i came home from work just as he was about to set up the remote access and pulled the plug before he got any further.

Ran the full macaffe scan etc plus cyberscrub, checked the access settings and firewall and changed all our passwords so no damage done then phoned PC World Tech Guys and they had heard of this fellas scam and he was nothing to do with them.

We have had two similar phone calls since. Different voice but the same speil.
Click to expand...
i wouldnt trust a tec guy to turn off a lightswitch.....they have nothing but bad ratings and i have not yet met one that knows what hes on about. i had a hour to kill other day so i went in the local pc world, i was listening to the advice they were giving to potential customers and it was garbage, i said what thought and gave my advice to the customers, as the staff just wanted to sell and had no actual idea what the customer wanted. i hadnt been into a pc world for 2 years as i cant stand them, overpriced garbage sold by monkeys........

i have been out of touch in the computer world for a couple of years, latest hardware etc but some things never change.

this scam your on about has been going on for years...its not new, they keep on doing they get enough idiots falling for it. you wouldnt give your credit card details to a man who walks upto you on the street, so why do some people do over the fone? i was curious last year while having a few drinks, so i foned up the parents of mates, pretending to be a copper to see how guliable people are, and it was soooooooo easy.
 
funny you should use the word "gullible" because although it's a commonly used word,it's not actually in any dictionary
 
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